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Finite-difference modeling reveals low-to-moderate deformation risk during in situ tunnel expansion with existing defects, highlighting clearance convergence as the primary monitoring indicator.
In situ-reconstruction and expansion of existing tunnels in complex urban areas involve simultaneous construction and traffic operation, while pre-existing structural defects may further amplify deformation and safety risks under excavation disturbance. To address this issue, this study develops a dynamic deformation-risk assessment framework for the traffic-bearing side of reconstructed tunnels by integrating defect-induced structural deterioration, excavation-stage deformation responses, and cloud-model-based uncertainty characterization. A three-dimensional finite-difference model was established for an in situ-tunnel reconstruction project in China, in which an elastic modulus weakening coefficient was introduced to represent the mechanical deterioration associated with existing defects. Field monitoring was used to validate the numerical model. At an excavation advance of 47.0 m, the measured and simulated crown settlements were 2.40 and 2.73 mm, respectively, with a relative deviation of 13.75%, while differences at more than 80% of the excavation nodes were within 1 mm. The dynamic assessment showed that the membership degrees of crown settlement and clearance convergence to Grade 2 were 0.418 and 0.406, respectively, with neither indicator entering the Grade 4–5 high-risk range. Clearance convergence entered Grade 2 earlier during excavation and was therefore identified as a priority monitoring indicator for subsequent construction. Numerical simulation was used to obtain and validate the excavation-induced deformation responses, whereas the cloud model was used to classify the corresponding dynamic risk state; no independent long-term deformation forecasting was performed in this study.
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Sun et al. (2026) studied this question.
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